


easy

by whatcaniwriteinthis



Category: Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard - Rick Riordan
Genre: Bad Parenting, Cinnamon Roll Magnus, Genderfluid Character, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Misgendering, Other, i change person twice and tense at least four times pls be nice and tell me, like really crappy parenting, someone protect him
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-08
Updated: 2016-11-08
Packaged: 2018-08-29 20:40:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8504638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whatcaniwriteinthis/pseuds/whatcaniwriteinthis
Summary: Alex just wants her stuff.





	

**Author's Note:**

> before you start know that: alex gets misgendered by her father and that there are some mentions of past child abuse (emotional)

“Easy to say, harder to do.” Alex says, shoulders slumped forwards, pulling herself inwards. I want to reach out to touch the side of her face gently, to slide a hand down her shoulder, to do _something_ , but I keep my hands to myself; Alex isn’t big on physical comfort.

“You’re right.” I agree. “But you want to do this.” Her brows furrow together dangerously and I quickly add, “Otherwise you wouldn’t be here, right?”

Alex relaxes, but only slightly. Almost imperceptibly.

“I just want my shit.” she says, like she’s trying to convince herself. She clenches her jaw tight, making a horrible clicking noise.

I hesitate for a second before saying, “I’m big on family, but not the abusive type. If you say you just wanna get your shit, then we’ll just get your shit.” Alex levels me with a steady stare that I can’t read. The longer it lasts, the more nervous I get.

Finally, she says, “Magnus Chase you are an enigma.” Before I can say anything, she’s bounding up the stairs and ringing the doorbell to her parent’s house. Because that’s where we are: Alex’s childhood home.

I hurry up the stairs behind her. After what happened with Hearth and his father… I’m not willing to take chances on asshole parents

The door swings open to reveal a middle-aged man. He’s a little shorter than me and mostly bald. His eyes, wide with shock, are shockingly similar to Alex’s lighter one.

Ale tenses up even more.

I want to do _something_ to help but I know she’d rather just through sarcastic barbs than be seen as weak.

“Father,” Alex greets him stiffly.

“Come inside, don’t make a scene.” he hisses, ushering the two of us inside.

We stand just in front of the doorway and he makes no move to take us in farther. The hallway stretched out before us is decorated tastefully, but not with comfort in mind. The carpet doesn’t look like something to be walked on and the pictures on the walls are of trees and lakes, not people. There’s an end table off to the side, keys strewn artfully across it, and it looks more expensive than most people’s dining tables. In short: Hearth and I aren’t the only ones with well-off, dickish family.

Alex looks so out of place here, in her threadbare pink and green button-down and dirty sneakers. I remember thinking on the way here that she had dressed up. She had ironed her shirt, flattened her hair, but now, surrounded by such a casual display of wealth, she looks rough around the edges.

I can only imagine what I look like to her father: scruffy hair cut poorly, muddy jeans, falafel stained t-shirt (no regrets there), and a necklace that probably looks like a gang symbol to him.

“Darling?” a lilting voice comes from farther inside. “Who was it?” A woman appears at the end of the hallway. She’s casually dressed, but her t-shirt probably costs more than my entire wardrobe. Of course, I got them from dumpsters and clothes drives.

The woman stops, scowls and strides down the hallway so she can glare at us properly. “Alex?” she asks, her voice cold and tense.

“That’s my name.” Alex smirks easily, but there’s tension in her shoulders.

“And you?” Alex’s step-mother turns to me. Her eyes are icy blue and a chill goes up my spine as she stares at me. And I’ve fought _giants_.

“Magnus Chase.” I say and step out with my hand out stretched. Much to my surprise, she actually shakes it, but for no longer than she really has to. I turn to Mr. Fierro, my hand still out.

“Who are you?” he snaps, ignoring my hand. I blink.

“Magnus Chase.” I repeat. He still doesn’t shake my hand. I glance at Alex. I feel a little stupid with my hand out like this. Alex just rolls her eyes and slaps my hand down.

“He’s a friend, Dad.” she explains.

“What do you want from us?” Mrs. Fierro asks, talking over Alex. “More money? You could do with some new clothes.” She sneers and Alex looks away from the two of them. I shove my hand in my pockets to keep me from doing something stupid. How old was Alex when Mrs. Fierro started to take out her bitterness on her? She couldn’t have been very old. I can only hope she wasn’t very young.

“I wanted to tell you that I’m an einherji.” Alex says quietly. Her parents blink.

“She’s a warrior of Odin.” I explain. “You know, for Ragnarok.” More blank stares. “The end of the world? A really big wolf swallows the Sun and all the gods die.” I continue.

“It also means I’m legally dead.” Alex adds.

Silence, a long horribly awkward silence.

“I don’t see what this has to do with us.” Mrs. Fierro snaps, impatiently.

Alex closes her eyes. She doesn’t say anything, but I do.

“Your daughter is _dead_.” I repeat. “What could this _not_ have to do with you? Did you even know before this?” Mr. Alderman was one thing but this… This is sheer apathy.

“Leave it Magnus!” Alex exclaims. “I just want to know what you did to my stuff. Did you sell it? Set it on fire? Hide it in a storage canister under a fake name?”

Mrs. Fierro wrinkles her nose. “Donated,” she says, the way most people say ‘cockroach’: disgusted and slightly afraid.

Alex’s expression closes off suddenly. Her expression tightens and hardens and she takes a step back. Reaching for the door knob, she says in a pseudo-casual voice, “Alrighty then, sorry to bother you.”

I glance between the three of them. “You donated her stuff? Your own _child_? You just took her stuff in a box and left at the door of the Salvation Army or whatever- your own kid?” My arms are spread wide as I stare at Mr. and Mrs. Fierro, trying to understand what’s going through their heads. “Your own kid.” I repeat, my voice fainter. At least Mr. Alderman didn’t pretend Hearth didn’t exist. At least my uncle thought about me.

Mr. Fierro draws himself to his fullest height, which isn’t much. “Alex is no son of mine. He might bare the Fierro name, but he certainly is _not_ one of us.”

“She.” Alex and I correct simultaneously. Mr. Fierro looks affronted, like he isn’t used to being corrected.

“Besides,” Alex continues, opening the door and gesturing for me to go through with a tiny jerk of her head. “Who wants to be?”

She sure knows how to make an exit.

We walk down the street lined by too big houses in utter silence. We wait at the empty bus stop in silence.

It’s only when we’re reaching downtown Boston that I finally say something. “I’m sorry.” I say, signing it as well.

“Not your fault.” Alex replies tersely.

“I’m still sorry.” I insist. “I shouldn’t have made you go. I shouldn’t have snapped at your dad.”

“You didn’t _make_ me do anything. You didn’t make my dad say anything he didn’t already think.” Alex’s attention is on her hands, spinning her garotte into a cat’s cradle. Somehow, she’s never lost a finger. She sighs, and lets it fall apart.

Alex’s eyes look tired and, when she stares at me, almost haunted. “I have crappy parents- easy as that.” She looks so upset, so lost, that I can’t help but try to comfort her.

I wrap an arm around her shoulders, pull her close to me, and rest my chin on her head. Alex is shorter than me, but not by much, and her hair tickles my nose. “I’m sorry you have crappy parents.” I tell her.

To my surprise, Alex doesn’t disembowel me. She just leans against me and sighs. “Thanks.” she whispers.

“Anytime.” I say, my heart feeling like it’s about to thump its way out of my chest.

**Author's Note:**

> it wasn't explicitly there but magnus is trans af okay. also, i have joined the effort to get the fierrochase tag common and you should too.


End file.
